Chess
by Orange Lights
Summary: After finding out that chess is THE ultimate battle of wits, Maya expects nothing less than the two rivals to battle it out. As always though, things don't go according to plan...


Phoenix wasn't an expert on chess, the one thing he knew he shared with his haplessly cheerful assistant was his low level of patience, especially for things that required long periods of thinking. Phoenix had told Maya about the chess board he had seen at Edgeworth's office, and with a spontaneous cheer, she had encouraged him to buy one so they could have a battle of wits. She had obviously been influenced by the intellectual-based arc on the Steel Samurai, the two enemies tossing out verbal riddles to each other in the previous episode she had watched.

It hadn't worked very well, Phoenix reminisced. Maya had got so annoyed when Phoenix was winning with his obvious lack of effort. He wouldn't bother to ponder over potential moves and just moved the first one that instinctively came to hand, and she had told him that she wouldn't be able to learn unless she visited the master-of-chess himself, Miles Edgeworth, or what Maya wanted to call him, 'The Chess Demon'.

Phoenix had objected, but like many of Phoenix's objections, they had been ignored.

"Edgeworth doesn't even like me." Phoenix protested in a childish-whine, and Maya tutted with both hands on her hips.

"Of course he doesn't!" She readily agreed, "You are both arch-enemies, and at this precise moment, he is wallowing in his bitterness from his last defeat. If you don't strike now, he'll continue to plot and scheme for his revenge!"

_Evidence enough that you watch too many cartoons, Maya. _

"So, anyway," Maya continued in a sober voice, "I can't predict who the winner is going to be, so I'm going to have to watch you two battle it out!"

"B-battle it out? At what?"

"Chess!" Maya exclaimed, "Nick, how could you forget! We are here to challenge him at chess!"

_Only Maya could make chess sound like some kind of hot-blooded war... _

Phoenix hadn't been able to resist Maya's intentions all that well, she was like a little persistent caterpillar, worming her way out of things such as work, but still managing to eat her way into his wallet and his pride. It was quite embarrassing to be out witted by an eighteen year old.

"Why don't _you _play him at chess?" Phoenix asked, although he already knew its pointlessness.

Maya sighed as if Phoenix was really stupid, "Nick, you know I can't do that. This is battle between rivals! The only role I can have is to cheer you on from the sidelines!" She looked away for a moment as a thought struck her, "Although, I should really be a hostage. That would really heat things up!"

She clapped her hands together and nodded happily as it clicked, "Yes, yes! Do you think there is rope in Mr. Edgeworth's office? Maybe I could dangle myself out of the window, and he could threaten to cut the rope if you lost..."

"It's on the twelfth floor!"

"I know that duh." Maya rolled her eyes, and leaned forward to give him a knowing wink, "That's what they call _'dramatic irony'_"

"No, that's not what dramatic irony means - "

"Look, Nick, stop trying to resist destiny!" Maya exclaimed, frustrated that Phoenix hadn't agreed with her straight away, "This is fate!"

"But - "

"How are you going to look Mr. Edgeworth in the eye again, if you don't go through with this now?"

Phoenix was lost for words on how stubborn she was being over a _game of chess _and suddenly felt himself being pulled into the lift up to the prosecutor's office.

"Ah, twelfth floor, huh?" Maya said, eagerly pressing the 12 button, (Phoenix had learnt whenever the two of them were in a lift, to _always _let Maya press the buttons), "See, you secretly do want to challenge him, you even let slip the location of his lair!"

"Stop looking into things so much." Phoenix replied, "You know I'm bad at chess."

"You're bad at being a lawyer too, but that doesn't stop you."

_Ouch. Remind me never to defend you again. _

The lift suddenly surged upwards, and Phoenix leant back on the rails, watching the numbers go up just above the door. Maya continued to burble excitedly about the challenge ahead, sounding like a introductory narrator, _'After weeks of searching, Nickel Nick and Maya the Magnificent have found the evil Chess Demon's lair! What will await our heroes as they toil up to the twelfth floor...?' _but she stopped as soon as the lift stopped at the eighth floor, and a man in a smart suit stepped inside.

The lift chimed when they reached their destination of the twelfth floor and Nick and Maya stepped out. Maya asked which door it was, and Phoenix went left, walking down the corridor and knocking tentatively at the door, hoping that no one would be in.

After a tense few seconds, no one answered. Phoenix was close to punching the air in relief.

"He's out." Phoenix said. Maya looked extremely put out for a moment, but then gave Phoenix a sly smile.

"Let's go inside!" She said cheerfully, reaching up to her hair to take out one of her hair clips. Phoenix watched as she tried to toggle it in the door, and grabbed her by the shoulder, pulling her away.

"What are you doing?" Phoenix said, "You're trying to break into a _prosecutor's office. _That's just begging for them to sue us!"

"You're no fun." Maya pouted, aimlessly pushing the handle down. Just like it would in a secret entrance, the door clicked, and as Maya let go, it slowly drifted open.

"It's unlocked!" Maya said, turning towards Phoenix with hope in her eyes, "C'mon! It's a sign!"

"It isn't a sign." Phoenix said, "We have to leave before he comes back."

Maya must have not heard him, or at least pretended not to, and walked inside. Not wanting to be caught standing shadily outside his office, Phoenix quickly followed, closing the door quietly behind him.

Phoenix had been in Edgeworth's office before, but Maya hadn't, and was looking around gob-smacked.

"Nick..." She drifted off, "He's got a suit hanging on his wall..."

"I know." Phoenix said shortly, "I don't get Edgeworth either."

Maya continued to look around in amazement, but suddenly caught her eyes on the Samurai figurines that were on the window sill. She dashed over, picking them up and read the messages, _'Between a rock and a hard place. Wendy.' _

"What's between a rock and a hard place?" She said bewildered. Phoenix had wandered over to the chess pieces, picking the blue one up and looking at it closely.

"I think you should worry more about the fact that it's from 'Wendy'." Phoenix replied. Maya's eyes brightened as she noticed the chess board, and scampered over.

"This is where it happens!" She said excitedly, "Look at those red knights! That blue pawn!"

Phoenix put the blue piece back down where he found it. Maya looked confused at the formation of the red knights all around the lonely blue pawn.

"Nick... I don't get it." She said clearly, "Why is there only five pieces?"

"I think it's more decorative..." Phoenix said slowly. _Why did the blue pawn have a spiky head? _

"Huh." Maya replied, "Look at these knights, they have little handkerchiefs around their necks! Do you think they spill ketchup on themselves as well?"

"If they did, you wouldn't be able to tell." Phoenix pointed out, picking up one of the red pieces, "Anyway, that's not a handkerchief, that's a cravat..."

_Nah... it couldn't be... he wouldn't... _

"I'm sure there's more pieces somewhere..." Maya said, searching under the table, "Otherwise, how else are we going to have a match?"

Phoenix started to move the pieces around. He picked up the blue pawn and put him in the centre square, and moved three of the red knights so they were watching from the sidelines. Then he changed his mind and placed them so they were laying on their side, leaving one red knight standing opposite of the blue pawn.

"Hey, Maya..." Phoenix sniggered, "Can you see if you can find any post-stick notes?"

Maya looked up from her search, looking blankly at the new chess set up. She didn't really get what he was doing, but he sounded like he had a plan (and that he was going to act immature, which always was a Good Nick to her) and rooted over Edgeworth's desk.

While she was doing this, Phoenix picked up a pen that was lying absently on the bookshelf.

"Found some!" Maya said triumphantly. Phoenix turned around as Maya presented him with a pad of sticky notes that were a light shade of pink.

Phoenix grinned, and drew a speech bubble on the top one, writing _'Objection!' _inside it. He pulled it off and stuck it to the face of the blue pawn. Maya laughed as she looked at his handiwork.

Phoenix did it again, this time writing _'Yes, Wright I admit I am a loser.' _and stuck that on the red one. It was immature, but to both Maya and Phoenix, it was hilarious and they burst into giggle fits for a minute or two.

Just as he wrote _'seconded'_ and _'thirded'_ and stuck them onto two that were lying down, (not that he even knew if _'thirded'_ was a word or not), they heard footsteps walking outside the door. Phoenix and Maya froze, looking at each other for a terrified moment, before running behind Edgeworth's desk.

They heard someone opening the door – thankfully there was space under the desk for both of them to sit, pulling in their knees with their hands, and they listened to Edgeworth ask someone to bring up the paperwork later.

The door clicked shut, and Phoenix and Maya glanced at each other. Maya had a big grin on her face, and now Phoenix was trying not to laugh, clenching the insides of his cheeks with his teeth. Edgeworth threw something onto the couch – probably a coat or something, and slowly walked a few paces towards the chessboard.

"Wright..." Edgeworth hissed to himself.

Phoenix snorted despite himself, and tried to conceal it as a thump on the floor. Hopefully Edgeworth wouldn't notice or think that the room next door was playing basketball or something (_yes Phoenix, of course that's likely!). _Nothing happened after a moment, both Phoenix and Maya heard the sound of Edgeworth writing something down on a piece of paper, then walking away, slamming the office door behind him.

They waited for a moment in case it was a trick, but Maya was the first to move, cautiously peering her head over the top of the desk.

"He's gone!" She whispered, not that she needed to whisper now, and Phoenix also poked his head over the desk, kneeling on the carpet.

He had gone, but something was different in the room. He had been right in guessing, Edgeworth had thrown his coat on the couch but that wasn't all that had changed. The blue pawn had been knocked over, and Phoenix walked over to the chess board. The notes had been scrunched up, all apart from one on the blue pawn that had an arrow pointed across the note. Phoenix followed it with his eyes to the door, noticing that a new post-stick note had been stuck there.

Maya had noticed it as well, and ripped it off the door.

"Do not trespass into my office again, Wright." She read aloud, "I will be here tomorrow at eight am to let you out. Yours sincerely, Miles Edgeworth."

Maya yanked at the door handle. It was locked.

"We're locked in!" Maya exclaimed angrily, "He's outwitted you again Nick! We're being held captive!"

She banged on the door, "Damn you, Chess Demon!" She cried, shaking her fist at nothing in particular.

Phoenix sighed. Maya turned on him, looking at him with accusing eyes.

"What?" Phoenix said, "Don't even _think _about this being my fault."

"C'mon, Nickel Nick! Use your quick thinking and wit to get us out of here!" She said, "Tell him that you'll sacrifice yourself and to let me go!"

_I am selling that TV when we get out of here. Either that, or I'm going to break it so it won't ever work again.  
_


End file.
